Desk.



1110. 718,627; PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903. J. A. HODGES.

DESK.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 7,-1901.

10 MODEL;

Witnesses. Inventor 'i 3 WAzz Attorney.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. I-IODGES, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

DESK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 718,627, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed December '7, 1901. Serial No. 85,101. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. HODGES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in type-writer desks; and its objects are, first, to provide a type-writer shelf or support that may be readily attached to any office-desk; second, to provide a type-writer shelf that may be readily adjusted vertically and laterally to adjust the type-writer to the desired position, and, third, to provide a type-writer shelf of the class herein stated that may be closed up practically dust-proof. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure '1 is a vertical section of a desk on the line 0c 00 of Fig. 3 with my attachment in place. Fig. 2 is the same with the shelf passed back under the desk. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a desk, showing the appliance for supporting the shelf at the desired height when in use. Fig. 4 is a perspective of the guide and guideway detached from the desk; and Fig. 5 is a perspective of a portion of the shelfand folding leaf, showing the construc tion and application of the hinge.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the frame of the desk.

My invention consists in the shelf D, having the folding leaf D, which is hinged to the shelf D with a self-supporting hinge d, so arranged that itwill hold the leaf and its load firmly when in active use. The shelf is slidingly supported upon the guides or ways 0, which are in turn vertically adjustable upon the vertical ways or guides B. By this arrangement the shelf is rendered laterally adjustable upon the ways 0 to draw the shelf and type-writer from under the desk to position for use and vertically adjustable upon the ways B to raise the shelf and type-writer to the proper height for convenient use, in which position it is secured temporarily by means of the notched supports G, engaging the ways 0, as indicated in Fig. 3. The vertical adjustment of the shelf is facilitated by the use of spring-balances F, (which indicate an ordinary spring-sash balance or its equivalent,) which should be sufficiently strong to easily raise the shelf and slide, but not strong enough to raise or support the weight of the shelf and the type-writer combined. By this means the shelf is always sure to raise uniformly even, though the Weight of the typewriter is wholly upon the leaf D, and it may be readily raised to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, and as soon as the spring-catches G are pressed back out of the way the shelf will drop down by the weight of the writer to position to be slid under the desk, as indicated'in Figs. 2 and 3.

A represents an inner cover, and A represents a temporary back for use in desks having no permanent backs for the purpose of and steady, andfindicates the cord or metal ribbon that connects the spring-balances and the shelf for facilitating the manipulation of the shelf.

I do not desire to restrict myself to the particular class of springbalances herein shown, nor, in fact, do I desire to restrict myself to spring-balances, as others may be applied with equally good results, nor do I desire to restrict myself to the form of temporary supports herein shown and described, those having been shown as more convenient than other forms for illustration.

The guide B is securely screwed to the rails of the desk, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and the guide 0 c is connected therewith by a flange-and-lip connection, substantially as shown in Fig. 4.

E represents the outline of a type-writer case used here for the purpose of illustrating the manner of adjusting the type-writer upon the shelf in the several positions it is to assume in the manipulation of my device.

This appliance may be adapted to and 0perated upon other articles than desks and for other purposes than as a type-writer supportas, for instance, a dictionary-shelf, &c.

shelf, notched supports secured to the drawercases and a catch upon the shelf arranged to engage therewith, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, December 5, 1901.

JOHN A. HODGES. In presence of- NELLIE CILLEY, I. J. OILLEY. 

